Machine for applying top coatings of comminuted materials to confection-coated wafers



1 1927. l 627 577 May o F. G...sALr-:RNQ

MACHINE FOR APPLYINGHTOP COATINGS OF COMMINUTED MATERIALS To-coNFECTIoN COATED WAFERS 4 Sheets-,Sheet 1- Filed May 1,6, 1925 y F. G. SALERNO .MACHINE FOR APPLYING TOP COATINGS 0F COMMINUTED MATERIALS T0 CONFECTION COATED WAFERS Filed May 16, 1923 4 Sheets-,Sheet 2 v1,627,577 May 1.0 1927 F G. SALERNO MACHINE FOR APPLYING TOP COATINGS 0F COMMINUTED MATERIALS T0 CONFECTION COATED WAFERS Filed may 1e, 1925 v 4 sheets-sheet s May l0, 1927. 1,627,577

F; G. SALERNO MACHINE Fon APPLYING ToP CoATINGs oF COMMINUTED MATERIALS To coNFEcTIoN COATED wAFERs Filed May 16, 1925 4 sheets-Sheet 4 ,Patented May 1o, 1927.

UNITED STATES I 1,627,577 PATENTN oFFlcE.

FERDINANDO G. SALERNO, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MAHINE FOR APPLYING TOP COATINGS OF COMMINUTED CONFECTION-COATED WAFERS.

MATERIALS TO Application filed May 16, 1923. Serial No. 639,283.

My invention relates to a machine designed to apply a top coating of shredded, granular oreother comminuted material upon cakes or wafers to which a coating of some [confection of a plastic adhesive material, such as jelly icing, chocolate paste, etc., has been applied by a machine arranged to supply the cakes thus preliminarily coated to the machine constituting my present inven-l l tion. In Letters Patent No. 1,514,345, granted to me on November 4, 1924.' I have described a machine intended and adapted to accomplish the same general purposes as the present machine, and the construction of lwhich isin'many respects similar, and the I t objectof my present invention is the production` of a new and improved machine. having several desirable features not found in my former machine. One novel feature i0 of my improved machine relates to a more simple arrangement of parts for returning surplus material passing throughthe distributing screen and between the cakes to the elevator which lifts it and returns 'it to l the supply hopper; another relates to means .for directing the blast of wind discharged from the blower apparatus towards the coated wafers, and another to means for regulating the supply of material delivered to the 0 vibrating distributing screen. Other novel and advantageous features of construction incidental to the foregoing and designed to facilitate accomplishment of the ends in view will be apparent from the description 5 of the machine hereinafter given, the `essential elements of my invention being more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. l

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings D is a side elevation of my improved topping machine, certain parts being broken away to rshow'the construction of'parts beyond;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine, certain parts being broken away to show parts un- 5 derneath; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary central longitudinal section through the upper part of the'machine, on a `larger scale than Fig.

1; Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section of the machine on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig.

l 5 is across section through the jet member; and Fig. 6 is an end view of the hopper.

- The same referencev characters indicate the same parts `in all the l figures of the drawing. l

i It may first be explained that the cakes or wafers tobe treated, freshly coated lwith jelly or other confection, aredeposited in successive rows upon the vreceiving belt of my topping machine, and are thence delivered to a wire-mesh conveyor belt by means of which they are carried first underneath a vibrating screen mechanism for depositing on them the comminuted material and thence pasta blower mechanism for imebdding the adherent particles and removingthe nonadherent surplus material, after which the coated cakes, by a succession of belts are delivered onto trays for removal and packing.

Proceeding now 'to a more detailed description of the construction of my machine, the receiving belt A is engaged by thecrossf. member of a pivoted frame 1, and passes around the small idler rollers 2 and 3 and driving roller 4. From the receiving" belt the cakes pass to the endless wire-mesh convveyor belt B which engages the small rollers 5, 6 and 7 and the relatively large driving roller 8. Passing from the conveyor belt, the cakes are delivered to a transfer belt C which engages a small roller 9, a trifie lower than the roller 6, a driving roller 9", a small idler roller 9b, and the rounded nose of a cross-bar forming the cross-member of a swinging frame which is provided with means for adjustment to take p slack in l the belt` and also provided-with means for raising the outer end or loop of the belt more or less. In the regular operationof the. machine the coated cakes are delivered by the transfer belt to trays which are placed on a delivery belt D and removed therefrom lby attendants of the machine.-

The mechanism for distributing the shredded material on the coated cakes as they pass through the machine. includesa supply hopper 10 within which, adjacent the bottom, is arranged a rotating spiral distributing blade 11 which in the present instance does not extend quite to the ends of the hopper, and the shaft of which is journaled in Vbearings inthe end plates of the hopper box.' The passage of material downwar 1y out of the hopper is controlled by two longi- Y tudinally grooved feed rollers 13 and 14 hav- 105 ing journals which are pivotally mounted in the lower ends of two pairs of depending arms, marked respectively 13L and 14, As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing thegrooves ofthe two rollers are off-set angularly so |10 The arms13* are pinned to the end ofthe yhopper so that theroller 13 is in effect mounted in stationary bearings, While the arms 14a are free to swing on their pivots.

At each end of the hopper the arms 13g-androller 13.

14n are adjustably connected by screw bolts, marked 13", springs 13jand 14c being employed to stress the arms 14a and roller 14 carried thereby away from the arms 13aand Below the feed rollers is arranged a removable vibrating screen 15, set in a frame 15'L pivotally hung upon a front pair of rock arms 16 secured to a rockshaft `17 journaled. in bearings carried by opposite sides of the machine fra'me, and. av rear pair of rock arms 18 fixed to a rockshaft 18a.. similarly mounted( By ymeans of a crank arm 19 fixed to the rock shaft 18a and operated by a pitman 20l the screen is vibrated to sprinkle material flowing from between the feed rollers over the rows of cakes E passing beneath on the wire mesh conveyor belt. Interchangeable screens of different sizes of mesh are provided-'to adapt the machine for distributing different kinds'of material. L

The surplus material which passes through the nieshed lconveyor is' .directed by the inclined sides'21 and 22 of a collecting hopper to a transverse conveyor trough 23 in'which is arranged a spiral conveyor 24-which transfers the material to the lower end ofa bucket elevator 25 arran ed at the sidezof the machine. The speci c construction of the elevator is immaterial and it will suilice to say' that it includes an' endless sprocket chain 26 Y passing around a lower sprocket wheel mounted on the lshaft of the conveyor 24', and an idler upper sprocket wheel, the chain being equipped with buckets 29 arranged to lift th'e material and discharge it into a return chute 30which empties into the supply hopper, adjacent the inner or receiving end of the spir'adistribut1ng.blade. n=

A blower mechanismis provided consisting of a fan blower 31 of proper capacity arranged to force'a Ablast o alr through a pipe 32 into the-topof a cross blower box 33 which is provided with an adjustable jet opening at its bottom by means of a longitudinally-slotted cylindrical jet member 34 "rotatably mounted in the lower side of the blower box. and provided with an o erating handle 35 by means of which the Iirection ofthe jet of-air may be angularly adjusted.

The machine may be driven by any suitable power and various suitable connections for actuating the different moving parts. In the drawings I have illustrated suitable actuating means consisting of 'an' electric motor 36 which is geared to a commercially well-known variable-speed power-transmit- 'mg device known as the Reeves variablespeed transmission and having a pulley 37 arranged to drive the blower' through a belt 38, and also having a pulley 39 eccentrically connected to the pitma'n 20 before mentioned to cause reciprocation lof the vibrating screen.

The driving drum of the delivery belt D before mentioned is driven through a gear,

wheel 70 on the same shaft as the pulley 39, gearwheels 71. and 44 on the shaft 41, a gear wheel 45 on a shaft 46 meshing with the gear wheel 44 and a sprocket chain 47 engaging a sprocket wheel on the shaft 46 and a sprocket wheel-7 3 on the shaft 48 carrying the drum. y

The vdriving roller of the'receiving belt A is equipped with a sprocket wheel 74 which meshes with a sprocket wheel 75 on the` shaft 48 of the belt A, and is also equipped with a gear wheel 50 which in turn meshes with agear 51' on the shaft 52 of the driving' roller 8 which engages the' wire-mesh conveyor belt B before mentioned.

.The ltransner belt C' is driven through a sprocket chain 54 engaging a sprocket 'wheel on lthe shaft 52 and a sprocket wheel fixed io the shaft 55 which carries the driving roller 9a. The shaft carrying the small roller 9 carries also a. pinion 56 which through an intermediate pinion 56a is geared to a pinion 57 on the shaft which carries the roller 6, so that the wire-mesh conveyor belt is driven from both ends,-a sprocket chain 58 being arranged to positively drive the grou of pinions 56, 56a land 57. 1t will be note that the adjacent rollers 6 and 9 of the conveyor belt .and transfer belt,'respec tively, are both positively driven, in consequence of which they may be made' very small, so that the'gap between their top reaches is of small dimensions, without producing the wearl and drag vupon the belts which would occour were they not thus driven, j

The two feed rollers 13 and 14 are driven from a sprocket wheel on the shaft 52 by a sprocket chain 59 arranged to engage a sprocket wheel fixed to the shaft of the roller 13, theshafts of the rollers being geared together 'by intermeshing pinions having teeth sufficiently deep'to remain in engagement throughout the range of adjustment of the rollers.

The spiral distributing blade 11 is' rotated by means of a sprocket chain 60 engaging a sprocket wheel 61 on the shaft of the feed roller 13 and` a-sprocket wheel 62 on the shaft of the blade 11.

The spiral conveyor24 andthe sprocket chain of' the elevator ardri'ven by a Sprockf et chain 40 lengaging al sprocket wheel on lthe lshaft 52 and also a sprocket wheel 76 chine; a second sprocket Wheel 77 mounted on' the same shaft, and a sprocket chain 78 engaging a sprocket Wheel onthe same shaft as the conveyor and the Ilower elevator 4sprocket Wheel tol which the buckets are secured. p lThe adjustment of feed rollers and blower nozzle above described, in connection with the provision of the spiral distributing blade in the supply hopper, enables the ma chine to be easily and accurately adjusted so that it may be operated to distribute different kinds of comminuted materials upon coated cakes, varying in Weight and size. as

for instance light, bulky, materials, like shredded coeoanut, or materials consisting of dense, solid particles, like granulated sugar, as well as -grated or granular particles of nuts` orother material of still different character. lVhen the direction of the air jet is more nearly perpendicular to the sur- :face of the coated wafers acted upon, its effect is to imbed the particles of coating lmaterial into the plastic material of the wafers, while a jet iny widely oblique direction has a greater tendency todislo'dge-sur` plus, unadherent material. The nozzle can therefore be .adjusted to Voperate in such manner as the nature of material may require to attain the best results.

l x I claim:

l.. In a `machine of the character described, a supply hopper equipped with feeding means arranged to discharge a regu! 4.lated supply of comminuted material, a meshed conveyor belt arranged to transfer wafersI vklaterally under said hopper, a vibrating screen between said supply hopper 'andconveyor belt arranged to receive the material discharged from such hopper-and sprinkle it upon the wafers on the belt, a collecting hopper arranged vertically beneath said screen including inclined sides converging downwardly and terminating in a transverse conveyor trough, and an elevator mechanism arranged to receive 'material from said trough and deliversitto said supply lipper. v A f- J 2.; In a machine of thecharacter described, a meshed Iconveyor belt, supply and distributing 4means .above said belt arranged to sprinkle comminuted material upon wafers supported vupon said belt, blower mechanism r including a nozzle extending 'transversely across the machine adjacent said conveyor belt and having an adjustable jet orifice arranged to vdislcidg'e-excess material from said X wafers, and means-forfreturning su-rplus and excess material passing/ through said belt to the' source offsupply. 1 1 j p i' '3. In amachine ofl the 1 character de scribed, a meshed conveyor. belt', su'pplyinid.y means above said belt arranged "distributingl n to sprinkle.' comminl'ited v'material `upon wafers supported uponfsaidbelt, blower mechanism including a nozzle extending transversely across the machine adjacent l said conveyor belt and having a cylindrical longitudinallyfslotted member rotatably l mounted in said nozzle and arranged to dislodge excess material from said wafers, and means for returning surplus and 'excess material passing through said belt to the source Off/Supply l l i. In av machine of .the character described,

,a supply hopper for comminuted material extending transversely'of the machine and" having'ends and sides` a pail-fof feed rollers 'arranged longitudinally of7 the hopper to form a bottom closure with a feed opening therebetweema spiral distributing blade ar y ranged A'above said feed rollers, means for supplyingthe comminuated `material adjacent the inner end yof said blade, and means for rotating said rollers'and said distributing blade.` y f, J A 5.'In a machine" of the character described, a :supply hopper' for comminuted material extending transversely of the machine Aand having ends and sides, a pair'of vfeed rollers arranged longitudinally of the hopper to form a bottom closure witha feed openingtherebetween, a spiral distributing -means in said hopper arranged to spreadthe material longitudinally above said rollers, a meshed conveyor for conveying`cakes laterally underneath .said feedopening, means for' returning surplus material passing through said meshed-conveyor anddischarging itinto said hopper adjacent the inner end of said distributing blade, and

and means adjacent one end of the hopper for rotating said rollers and said distributing blade. including intermeshing gearing outside the plane of the hopper end onl the shafts of said rollers and blade. f

7. vInl a machine of. the character scribed,L a supply. hopper for comminuted material having at its bottom a pairv of feed rollers arranged to be driven at thesame peripheral speed and 'having cylindrical lfaces formed with longitudinal grooves, the

grooves. of the 'two rollers being. angularly offset and the margins ofthe grooves of one roller' .being arranged torotate into regis- 4 tration withthe cylindrical faces of the opposite roller.'

8V I 'n a machine of the character described and having an endless belt for conve mgl wafers through the machine, means for riving said beltincludzng a pair of small rollers engaged by the upper reach-of the belt, one of said rollers being an idler roller and the other positively driven, :L second idlery .9. In' e machine .of .the ciliaractcrdei? scribed, a-conveyorbelt aranged to support wafers, supply and vdistributngmeans above saldibelt arranged to sprinkle commlnnted material upon wafers on 'said belt, blower` lnechnnisini'including'v a nozzle extending ,trunsverslvucross the machine vadjacent said conveyor. belt yand having an adjustable jet oriice .arranged to dislodge surplus mate-y .rial from said wafers, and means for re- FElablNANDc:G.sALERNo;

turning dislodged "surplus material to the lscurce'ofsu 

